Health and fitness tracking devices are increasingly utilized by individuals interested in tracking metrics related to their personal health and fitness. These health and fitness tracking devices (which may also be referred to herein as “health tracking devices”) typically include a user interface provided on a personal electronic device such as a smartphone, laptop computer, or other computer. The user interface provides the user with any of various health, fitness and activity related data such as food and nutritional consumption, calorie expenditure, heart rate, distance traveled, steps taken, etc. Health tracking devices often use data collected from associated sensors worn by the user, such as heart rate monitors, step counters, stair counters, global positioning system (“GPS”) tracking devices, as well as various other motion tracking and biometric monitoring devices. Such sensors are allow the user to easily track and automatically log activity information with the health tracking device. The term “health tracking system” as used herein refers to a health tracking system and/or health and fitness tracking system which includes a health tracking device but which may or may not be used in association with any sensor device.
While activity data is relatively easy to enter into a health tracking device, challenges exist with entry of food and beverage consumption and related calorie and nutritional data (the term “food” as used herein refers to either of or both of foods and beverages). In particular, the user must manually log this data into the health tracking system in order for the system to properly monitor calorie consumption and nutritional health. This process of manually entering food consumption into the system along with calorie and nutritional data is often time consuming and cumbersome. Moreover, it is often difficult for users to accurately determine the calorie and nutritional content of the foods they eat, so the calorie consumption and nutritional data entered into the health tracking system is often inaccurate.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a health tracking system and related method that allows the user to more quickly and easily enter calorie consumption and nutritional content into a health tracking system. It would also be advantageous if such a system and method provided the user with more accurate calorie consumption and nutritional data for entry into the system in association with foods consumed by the user. Moreover, it would be advantageous if such a system and method could be used to make healthy food choices.